What You Can Do If You Are (or Become) Allergic to Your Cat

Allergies can develop at any time during your life, and, unfortunately, that can include allergies to animals. Cats are well known for causing allergic reactions in humans. If this should happen, there are a number of measures you can take to minimise your discomfort and live in harmony with your feline friend.

Keep your cat out of your bedroom.

You might be accustomed to snuggling up with a warm kitty on those cool evenings, but sleeping with your cat when you’re allergic will definitely cause you some problems. Keeping your bedroom cat–free won’t entirely eliminate allergens from the room, but it will cut down on them drastically and allow you to breathe and sleep at the same time.

Vacuum and dust regularly.

This doesn’t take that long to do, and it will help keep cat dander in your living space to a minimum. Using a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner will help; otherwise you run the risk of sending cat dander airborne and exacerbating the problem. Also, make sure to change the filter on your furnace regularly.

Get rid of carpets altogether.

Even with regular vacuuming, carpets harbour all sorts of cat dander, and can be one of the main contributing factors to allergy attacks. Installing other types of flooring, like hardwood, laminate or tile, will cut down on the amount of dander in the air of your home. If you’re attached to carpeting, you can always use area rugs and rotate them so they don’t build up too much cat dander.

Groom your cat.

If possible, ask another family member to do this for you. Wipe the cat down with a damp sponge daily, and brush with a fine–tooth comb. This will help eliminate some dander and the dried saliva left on your cat’s fur from self–grooming.

Consider medications.

If all else fails and there’s no way to either part with your feline friend or live with your feline friend, talk to your doctor or allergist about medications that will help relieve your allergy symptoms. Those, in combination with the tactics above, might help do the trick — and save you the sadness of having to part with a beloved family member.

FURRY FEATURES

Cats are susceptible to disease just as humans are; the diseases might be different, but the prevention is the same. Talk with your vet and make sure your cat is getting each of these important vaccines

Travelling with a cat presents unique challenges and requires some planning ahead. By ensuring you have all of the items on this checklist, you can relieve travel worries and help ensure a safe and enjoyable trip for all.